To be sure, this isn’t the first same-sex wedding involving a CF member. I gather it’s the first where both parties were members, though. An RMC cadet was married to his same-sex partner about a year ago.
My apologies to anyone who took that inference.
Lordy, I had to go back to figure out what the heck you were talking about. I think there was a misunderstanding. When I wrote, “You might have a lot of facts packed into your pretty little head, but stupid is as stupid does,” I did not mean him personally. I meant it in the Royal English sense of “One might have a lot of facts packed into one’s pretty little head…”. The point I was making was that intelligence isn’t winning (and won’t win) the war against homophobia. He had said, “The parents are just ‘dumb as paint’ stupid.” The game they are playing is a game of politics, not High-IQ Bowl. It is politically savvy that is needed to combat them.
Is that not itself a hijack of the thread? I just finished examining the last 750 of my posts, in an attempt to see whether accusations of hijacking were accurate. They are not. By my reckoning, fewer than 4% of my posts in that roughly three month time period were any more off-topic than those surrounding them. By countinuing to parrot that mantra, you are propogating lies and ignorance. If you can show some statistical facts, show them. Otherwise, admit your error.
It did come across as insulting, Liberal. Why didn’t you take another look at it rather than lashing out? You might not have meant it, but it certainly looked that way, and if I had inadvertently insulted someone, I’d sure want to clear it up.
I don’t think so. Politics can only do so much; I’m actually inclined to give it a good deal of credit when it comes to segregation, because I think the national political push that desegregated the south - Lord knows they didn’t want it in a lot of places - ended up normalizing desegregated space and helping white folks get used to the notion of interacting with black people on more equitable terms.
But that’s not how this situation works. This is one of the places where parallels between gay rights and the Civil Rights Movement fall apart; political maneuvering can’t change the situation that greatly. Gay marriage is an important issue but it won’t create nearly the same sort of change that desegregation of schools did because it simply has less impact on people’s lifestyles. Putting in place anti-discrimination laws as powerful as those protecting black people is even less substantial when you look at the impact upon straight people’s lives.
I don’t think political savvy has much role to play in winning hearts and minds here; looking to politics in this situation may well be putting the cart before the horse. Of course gay people need to push for legal rights on all fronts, but it’s foolish to believe that it will change the attitudes of folks like Zach’s parents.
I don’t think there’s an easy answer, either, except that media exposure and so forth is probably a good thing, and that this is most likely a generational issue. When it comes to bigotry, people’s attitudes don’t change easily (that’s why the extent term “bigotry” was applied to this mindset in the first place.) Frankly, it’s when leadership passes to folks from my generation that general social attitudes will improve.
Just my two cents on it.
Mockingbird, since this is a thread about gay issues - this is our thread more than it is Liberal’s - I’m going to ask you nicely not to respond to this message of his, because there’s already a Liberal thread in the pit.
I thought I did clear it up. I did take another look, said there was a misunderstanding, and explained what I meant. How is that lashing out?
I don’t think politics is just about making laws. It’s about winning hearts and minds. It’s how politicians get elected — they use the art of politics.
I meant earlier in the thread - I was referring to your spat with Mockingbird which, unsurprisingly I suppose, was more on his end than yours. Nevertheless, it did turn into a long irrelevant hijack on Canada and their poofter military.
One of them tried to win my heart and mind when I was trying to enjoy a peaceful lunch today. I foolishly told him I was planning on voting for the mayoral candidate he was representing when he came door to door awhile back, and now he seems to think we’re old friends. I guess it’s the hazard of working for politicians - all of downtown is infested with them and they end up surrounding me at every turn.
A funny story. My sympathies.
Photos from yesterday’s protest at The Refuge.
Memphis Commercial Appeal article on the subject. (registration required) It’s not an especially well-written article, but at least they’re paying attention.
The CA’s front page today? Micheal Jackson. Because that has so much to do with the Memphis area.
I did say a similar thing in my last post.
Why don’t you cease attempting to mediate me and either add substance or subtract your presence.
Thanks for the pics.
If nothing else, at least it’s getting some media coverage. I think a big reason that places like this stay around for so long is there’s no huge outcry. We need to take back the “liberal media”.
Considering the contributions Excalibre has made to this thread, and the contributions you’ve made to this thread, I have to tell you how much I admire your raw chutzpah in saying that.
For what it’s worth, I wasn’t all that concerned. Let’s not read more into this than what it is. I figure if you had been trying to insult me, it would have been a lot more blunt and direct 
Gosh, and to think I believed it was best that this thread not simply become a discussion of Liberal’s character. I see now that you wish it were a discussion of yours.
Your suggestion that I’m contributing no substance to this thread, however, is laughable. It would be just as ridiculous as insulting me by calling me a dumb blonde. I not blonde, and my posts have been reasonably substantive. Moreso than yours, at least.
I have nothing but the highest respect for you. Thank you for the generous slack you have extended me.
Dear Asshole:
Stop reading into my posts things that are not there.
I did not say that your posts aren't substantive.
I was politely trying to suggest you back the fuck off and stop personally criticizing me as you've been very quick to do with little provocation.
As you seem to read into my posts what you want, perhaps you do have synthetic blonde syndrome and should stop drinking the peroxide.
Warmest Regards,
Mockingbird
P.S.: The day your posts possess more substance than mine is the day that Pat Robertson and Pat Buchanan confess their mutual forbidden love.
Yes… my contributions have been paltry.*
And perhaps you and Excalibre need to learn some reading comprehension.
I am really fucking tired of how quickly you’re willing to turn against people.
gobear had to deal with it as well and he’s not the only gay poster who had to deal with this absolute bullshit when gay posters pull the “I’m not with him” routine.
The lot of you make me sick.
*Right. My contributions have been substantive and with the effort it requires me to type anything at length, I’d have to say that my posts have a lot more substance than any of yours will ever fucking have, you absolute tool.
Um.
I realize this is the Pit, and I may well be smacked for being this mild, but…
Mockingbird, you sound like you’re in prime melt-down mode. I’ve been there a couple times. Trust me. Please. Back away from the keyboard. Embarrassment and mortification are forthcoming, and it isn’t fun. I’m not trying to insult you. But I think you’re taking offense when really, none was intended. Or at least, not as much as you took away from it.
I appreciate your concern, but I’m not even close to meltdown.
Had Miller and Excalibre phrased things as you have my response to them would have been similar in tone to my response to you.
I am quite tired of Excalibre jumping on my ass in the annoying rather than entertaining fashion and Miller’s impression of a Greek Chorus was quite obnoxious.
Regardless, thank you for your concern.